A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections
. Political parties are essential institutions of democracy, as they offer citizens a choice in governance and hold governments accountable
. They have become a major part of the politics of almost every country, with some countries having only one political party while others have several
. Political parties can be broadly defined as the entire apparatus that supports the election of a group of candidates, including voters and volunteers who identify with a particular political party, the official party organizations that support the election of that party's candidates, and legislators in the government who are affiliated with the party
. Some key aspects of political parties include:
- Ideology : Members of a political party often hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or policy goals
- Competition : Political parties compete in elections to gain political power and influence policy choices
- Organization : Political parties have various structures and levels of organization, ranging from local branches to national parties
- Voter Participation : Citizens participate in political parties by joining, volunteering, donating, and voting for their leaders
In the United States, the two most prominent political parties are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, which have evolved over time in terms of ideologies, positions, and support bases
. Other parties, such as the Reform, Libertarian, Socialist, Natural Law, Constitution, and Green Parties, can also promote candidates in presidential elections
